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nature.net by robert anderson 

 THE FUNGUS KINGDOM 



LIVING IN DRY southern California, I rarely 

 notice fungi, unless they are mushrooms on 

 my plate or something mysterious growing 

 in the fridge. But they are everywhere, 

 breaking down what the other kingdoms 

 of life create. In the far wetter Pacific 

 Northwest, fungi and those who study them 

 really flourish. Recently I watched an online 

 TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) 

 lecture by Paul Stamets, a mycologist who 

 lives in Olympia, Washington, entitled "Six 

 Ways Mushrooms Can Save the World" 

 (www.ted.com/index.php/talks/paul_ 

 stamets^on 6_ways mushrooms_can_ 

 save_the_world.html). Most impressive was 

 his demonstration that oyster mushrooms 

 could in a matter of weeks transform a 

 toxic mound of oil-contaminated dirt into 

 healthy soil. For my guide to this Web site 

 and others exploring the hidden lives and 

 talents of fungi, please visit the magazine 

 online (www.naturalhistorymag.com). 



ROBERT ANDERSON is a freelance science writer 

 who lives in Los Angeles. 



WORD EXCHANGE 



Birds 



of a Different 

 Feather 



Startle Reaction 



I thoroughly enjoyed "Birds of a 

 Different Feather" by Eben Goo- 

 dale, Amila Salgado, and Sarath W. 

 Kotagama [7-8/08]. Florida is a bit 

 far from Sri Lanka, but my Tampa 

 neighborhood also has some mimics 

 in its midst. Red-shouldered hawks 

 frequently hunt the area in pairs: one 

 screeches to startle prey, and the other 

 swoops down on the startled squirrels 

 and small birds. A local band of blue 

 jays mimics the hawks' cries — often 

 with great success — when squirrels 

 refuse to yield the best position on 



Continued on page 60 



6 n a [Ural history October 2008 



mm? 



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